Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Several weeks ago, strawberries and rhubarb both began to show up in quantity at the store. Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorite desserts on the planet. But it’s a pie. And being a pie, it takes some work (if you use a homemade crust).

So I set my sights on a cobbler, which is much easier to make than a pie. My father and I have now gone through three iterations of versions of strawberry rhubarb cobbler in as many weeks.

The first one was too sweet and mushy, though mom loved it. The second one’s crust was dry and tasteless.

This version, however, is just perfect.

Updated from the recipe archive. First posted 2006.

Prep:40 minutes

Cook:35 minutes

Yield:Serves 6

The cobbler as written is pretty tart; if you prefer a sweeter cobbler you may want to take up the sugar a notch, perhaps another 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Ingredients

Fruit mixture

4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks (about 1 1/4 pounds or 560 g) cut into 1-inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)

Method

1 In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, the baking powder and salt. Use your (clean) hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pieces of butter no bigger than a pea. Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened (do not overmix!).

3 Pour fruit into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the batter on the fruit. Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.